Campaigns should be informative

Campaigns should be informative

From Koran Tempo

Indonesia's first direct presidential election is a great leap
forward in the country's political history towards a government
of the people. This is thanks to the successful amendment of the
1945 Constitution by the People's Consultative Assembly despite
the challenges this process threw up.

Now the presidential campaign teams are canvassing the public
to gain support for their candidates. The question is whether
these campaigns are politically informative.

Support secured by getting the endorsement of public figures,
as in the campaign of presidential nominee Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, is not useful. Such support is only symbolic and
smacks of feudalism and militarism rather than any intellectual
response.

This signature gathering, while it may be relevant in the
House of Representatives, has no place in campaigning. Instead,
the teams should emphasize policy by presenting the visions,
missions and track records of their candidates.

DEDI FAUZI
Cilegon, Banten